This invention relates generally to systems and methods for electronic commerce over the Internet, and more specifically to a system and method for the purchase of used compact disks, and other mass-market removable media such as DVD""s, from individual sellers.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
Electronic commerce over the Internet has increased rapidly over the past few years. Many different types of commerce are transacted over the Internet, and many different systems and methods have been implemented to carry out transactions. One area of commerce that has not been widely implemented on the Internet is the purchase of used mass-market items from individual consumers for resale, where the items may be of variable condition, and hence of variable purchase price.
One product for which there exists a substantial market for purchase and re-sell is music compact disks. Since compact disks generally maintain their sound quality with repeated playings, they maintain a significant value in the re-sell market. Unlike old phonograph records, the purchaser of a used CD need not be greatly concerned about degraded sound quality due to surface damage. Minor damage to the CD surface which may cause some CD players to skip can typically be buffed out by the reseller, restoring the CD to essentially xe2x80x9cnewxe2x80x9d condition. A similar market exists for DVD""s containing video programs.
A problem for the purchaser of used CDs is ascertaining the condition of the CDs, so that the offer price may be adjusted accordingly. A used CD in xe2x80x9cexcellentxe2x80x9d condition, having no marks and a mirror finish, requires little effort on the part of the reseller and brings a higher price in the used CD market. A used CD with a damaged surface may require additional effort on the part of the purchaser to restore it to a usable condition, or may be of no value to the purchaser.
An additional problem for purchasers of used items from consumers for resale is that the consumer may wish to sell only a small number of the item, making it uneconomical for the purchaser. Thus there is a need for a system which allows the purchaser to buy used items from consumers for resale in quantities that make the transaction economically viable for the purchaser, and that adjust the offer price based on the condition of the items.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a user-friendly xe2x80x9cautomatic quotexe2x80x9d system for the purchase of used CDs and other mass-market removable media from individual consumers over the Internet.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for the purchase of used CDs over the Internet wherein the condition of the CD may be simply quantified by the seller, with the offer price adjusted in accordance with the condition;
To increase the economic effectiveness to the purchaser, it is an object of the present invention that a seller be required to sell a specified minimum number of CD""s, or more, per transaction;
To make the system simple to use and to preclude price shopping on a per-CD basis, it is a further object of the invention that the CD seller is only quoted a total price for the complete transaction, rather than a separate price for each CD.